When Fan Qi created this album in 1646, Nanjing was still smoldering after the destructive Manchu invasion of the city and establishment of Qing rule. During this chaotic period, Fan Qi took refuge at the Buddhist Monastery of Pure Coolness (Qingliang Si), situated on a hill in the northwestern quarter of the city. These intimate paintings depict the local scenery of Nanjing as a series of idyllic retreats and express the artist’s desire to transcend the turmoil by remembering places that exist beyond the world of politics.